Transmission system



p l 22, 1941. Q, E. SZEKELY 2,239,129

TRANSMISSION SYSTEM Filed Feb. 28, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet l April 22, 1941. I o. E. SZEKELY 2,239,129 TRANSMISSION SYSTEM Filed Feb. 28, 1959 a Sheets-Sheet 2,

0770 E lS'zg/mzy April 1941-; o. E. SZEKELY 2,239,129

'rkANsMIssIoN SYSTEM Filed Feb. 28, 1939 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 f v MAZ,

Patented 22, 1 941 TRANSMISSION SYSTEM Otto a. Szekely, Philadelphia, Pa, assignor to Szekely Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.,= a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 23, 1939, Serial No. 259,034 11 Claims. (01. 74-1895) This invention relatesto systems for transmitting power from a motor or like sourceto a load. My co-pending application 753,755; filed November 19, 1934 (now United States Letters Patent 2,151,722), of which the present application is a continuation in part; discloses and claims a transmission system in which a high-torque, lowspeed ratio train is eflfedzive for producing a -movement of the load through an over-running clutch device; while a variable ratio transmission capable of operating at various, conditions be.-

tween the high-torque and low-speed ratio and a direct drive condition was provided, with the inclusion oia differentiating gearing which was under control of a braking means for determining the variable ratio of drive therein. One of the features'of the present invention is the provision of means by which a plurality of ratios of transmission are provided for driving the load in one direction, including a high-torque and low-speed ratio means effective for causing the load to move when'the load demand is high and a high-speed low-torque ratio effective for causing the load to move when the torque demand of the load is substantially equivalent to the torque output of the motor, together with a fluid fly-wheel and devices associated therewith for controlling the transition from the high-torque the lowtorque condition of operation.

' Another featured the invention is the provision of a system for transmitting power, including aselectbr' member which is effective in one position for producing a high-torque low-speed ratio at high-torque demand of the load and for producing a low-torque high-speed ratio when the torque demand of the'load is low, and which is effective in a second position for disconnecting the load from the motor, and in a third position for producing a reverse driving of the load, t

Y gether with a fluid fly-wheel which is efiective when the selector is in the first position for producing a transition from the high-torque to low-torque ratio condition.

A further feature-of the invention is the provision of a system for transmitting power from a motor which must be maintained at above a predetermined minimum speed, including devices for automatically converting the system from a hightorque ratio to a low-torque ratio one in accordance with torque demand of the load, and including meansfor disconnecting the motor from the load, and-for obtaining a'reverse drive.

with. these and other features as objects in view,aswl 11 appear from the following .speciflca-- tion' and claims, an illustrative form of practicing the the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings. in which: r

Figure 1 is a diametrical upright sectional view through a transmission embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse upright sectional view substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail view of apart of Figure 1, showing the parts in position for automatically selective driving; I I

Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 3, but showing the parts in position for direct drive;

Figure '5 is a similar view, with the parts in a neutral or non-driving position;

Figure 6 is a similar view, showing the parts in position for driving in the reverse direction.

.In the drawings, the drive shaft in is energized by a suitable motor such as an internal combustion engine, etc.-, (having the frame or which a part E is shown) and is connected to the disk or.

fly-wheel II which forms a partof a normal clutch system such as is employed in automobiles,

this clutch also including the shiftable clutch I of the conventionally-shown fork'sleeve l4 and the actuating levers l5, but' which is normally held pressed toward the left, or toward engage-- mentposition by springs It in the usual way.

An intermediate shaft 20 is supported at its end by anti-friction bearings 2| within the driving shaft ll, andthe other end is connected to the driver housing 22 of a fluid fly-wheel which is;provided internally with the usual vanes 23. This fluid fly-wheel housing 22 is connected to a hollow shaft 24' which is provided at its other end with jaw-clutch teeth 25,, and has keyed thereto a gear 28. v V

The driven shaft 30 is supported within the hollow shaft 24 by the bearings 3| and is con.- nected to the runner 32' of the fluid fly-wheel, which has the usual vanes'33 therein for cooperation with the vanes 23 of the driver 22. The

- left-hand end of the shaft 30 in the'drawings is supported by an anti-friction bearing 34 carried in the fluid fly-wheel housing 22. The righthand end of the shaft 30 is provided with a rin of clutch teeth 35 which are equal in number and arrangement and in radial dimensions to the clutch teeth 25. This end of the shaft "to also is.

hollowed out to receive the anti-friction bearings 30b for supporting the reduced end of the tail shaft llla.

These structures are supported wlthin'a housment of the gear ring tion, is designated ing composed of the portion H which is secured to the frame structure E of the motor, and at the other end the housing 1-! is secured to a tapered gear member having the large gear 50 and the small gear 5|. The large gear Bil is constantlyin mesh with the gear 25 connected to the driver 22, and thus is constantly driven while the clutch, ll, l2, I2 is engaged and the motor is running.

The load shaft 30a has a splined portion which receives a selector member having a body 60 with an internal spline for sliding engagement on the splined tail shaft 30a. The left-hand end of the body I has Jaw-clutch teeth 8|. The body 60 also has cam surfaces 62 (Figure 2) for engagement with rollers 68 which coperate with the inner surface of a gear ring 64 having external 2a, to and n, 64 is interrupted, and also the me chanical drive through the ,clutch teeth 25, 35, 6| is disconnected, so that no mechanical or other drive can be eifectuated to the tail shaft 30a. When the shifting fork G6 is in the L" position, as shown in Figure 1, a mechanical drive at low speed and high torque ratio is accomplished from the motor shaft [0, from the engaged clutch assembly, the housing 22, shaft 24, gear 26, gear 50, gear 5|, gear ring 64, through the rollers 63 to, the clutch surfaces ,62, the body ,60, and the splined tail shaft'30a: This represents a low speed and high torque ratio of mechanical drive, and occurs independently of any movements of the fluid fly-wheel. With the shifting fork 66 in the F" position, as shown in Figure-3, the engagement of the clutch ll, l2, l3, produces rotation of the shaft 20, the driver 22, the gear 26, and therewith of the gears 50, 6|, and the gear ring 64, as inthe "L'? position.

At the same time, the engagement of clutch teeth, GI and 25 causes the tail shaft a to drive the shaft 30. and the runner 22 is brought toward a speed corresponding to that of the tail shaft 30a, which is less than engine speed. The action in the fluid fly-wheel is a function of the teeth which are in meshing engagement with the small gear II when the selector-is in a left-hand orforward position. The body lll also has a keyed thereto. A shifting fork ll engages between the gear ring it and the gear and can be actuated to slide the body I axially along the splined tail shaft "a- The body 80 has a flange 01 at one end for preventing axial movet4, and a snapring 68 em gages the groove of the body for preventing axial movement of the gear 85. .In the illustrated form, at the extreme left-hand position of movement of the body 60, the jaw-clutch teeth BI, 25, and I! are in engagement and a directdrive is produced: the position of the fork, in condiby D"., In second or forward position, designated by "1"", the gear ring N is in engagement with the gear BI, and

the clutch teeth I are engaged with clutch teeth II and disengaged from clutch teeth 25. In a third position for a low ratio mechanical drive (marked "1. in Figure l) and representing the parts in the full-line positions oiFigure 1, 'the clutchteeth ti have been disengaged from the clutch teeth 25 and 25 while the gear ring N remains in engagement with the gear ii. In a fourth position, designated by N, the gear ring 84 has been moved to the right (Figure l) and out of engagement with the gear 5|, while the gear is still out of engagement with its corresponding reverse gear. Finally, in a fifth position, designated by R", the gear 65 has been moved so far to the right that it is engaged with the reversegearing structure.

This reverse gearing structure comprises a shaft 10 supported in the gear box Ho and having a gear H which is constantly in'mesh with the gear 5i, and also having a gear "which is engaged by the gear 85 when the body 60 is in the R" position.

The operation of the structure is as follows:

If itbe assumed that the device is employed all a transmission for an automobile having an internal combustion engine of the usual type, the

depression -of the usual clutch pedal will disengage the clutch I I, l2, l3, and the engine turns free and may be'star tedin the usual way. With the shifting fork 66 in the N" position, as shown 6|, II, but "it will be noted that this transfer is the usual engine velocity, as it depends upon centrifugal force and rapidity of relative movement of parts.

Hence, at a high engine speed, under these conditions, energy is transferred from the driver 22 'to the rlmner 22 and some power transfer is thus accomplished to the shaft 80, and thence directly to the tail shaft 30a through the clutch teeth being accomplished without any change in torque ratio, and that the actual transfer is low, with fluid fly-wheel, when the engine speed is, low.

When the clutch fork 66 is the D position,

as shown in Figure 4, a direct mechanical drive is accomplished from the clutch teeth 25 to the clutch teeth 8|, so that the selector body 60 and tail shaft 30a tum at the same speed as'the housing 22.

Likewise, the clutch teeth 8! serve to hold the clutch' teeth 28 so that the runner 22 turns at the same speed as the housing 22. Under these conditions, the selector body so turns faster than the gear ring 64, this being permitted by the clutch rollers 63 in their engagement with the surfaces 62, and a similar condition will prevail when the parts are in the .F" position and the torque demand on the tail shaft 80a is being satisfied by the torque delivery to the runner 22 from the housing 22 in the-fluid'iiy-wheel.

Assuming that the automobile has been goin up a steep hill under the low-speed and hightorque ratio produced by'the aforesaid gearin when the parts are in the F position, and now comes to a level road or lesser grade at which the load demand upon the tail shaft 30a is mech'anically equivalent to the torque output of the engine at its prevailing speed, the fluid fly-wheel now becomes capable of transmitting this'torque. without the, multiplicaticn which has heretofore been necessary, and the necessary transmission can now be effected iii the fluid fly-wheel alone,

, as the effort being exerted therein is suflicient for the purpose. In particuiar,.it will be understood that the. normal characteristic of an internal combustion engine, when the load decreases, is for an increase of speed to occur, and this in turn. results in a geater transfer of effort at the fluid fly-wheel.

The result of thisiis that the runner 82 comes in Figure 5, the mechanical'drive through gears up to substantially the speed of the driver 22.

' runner, however, is greater than the speed whichwould be imparted to the tail shaft "a through the gear reduction, and hence this gear reduction train is unloaded of its duty of transferring power, as the body 60 turnswithin the gear ring 64 as the clutch rollers 83 permit the over-running effect to occur.

As the engine speed and the speed of the tail shaft 30a become correlated, ultimately the relative movements are very slow, and the clutch fork 66 may be moved into the D position, so that a direct drive is now produced from the shaft Ill, through the clutch ll, l2, I3. the driver body 22, the hollow shaft 24, the teeth 25, I, and body 50, to the shaft til. J

If the'automobile comes to a further ascending grade, and the engine begins to labor, the operator can momentarily close the engine throttle to lower the'speed to reduce the load being transferred at theteeth 25, SI, and inove the shifting fork 68. back to the F position. On again increasing the'speed'of the engine, the slippage will occur withinthe fluid fly-wheel, and a drive will be accomplished through the gearing, and 'with the torque-ratio increaseas before.

It will thus be'noted that the'positions "D and L respectively represent a mechanical direct drive and a mechanical low speed drive, while the positionfF represents a connection of the'parts .by which the speed ratio willshift automatically connecte When it is desired to disengage the load from 1 the driving system, the clutch fork 66 is moved to the N position, and then the aforesaid gearing and the clutch teeth are entirely disconnected.

When it is desired to travel in a reverse direction, the clutch fork 66 is moved to the R" position, as shown in Figure 6, in which the gear 65 is engaged with the gear It. A drive now occurs from the shaft l0, through the clutch ii i2, I3, to the shaft 20, the driver 22, hollow shaft 2%, gear 26, gear 50, gear 5i, gear Ii, gear 12, gear 65, and the tail shaft 30a is turned in the reverse-direction.

It is obvious that the invention can be practiced in many ways, without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

l. A transmission system comprising a driving member, a driven member, a fluid fly-wheel having two relatively movable parts of which one is connected to the driving member, selectively engageable means effective in one position for connecting the driven member directly to the driving member and effective in another position for connecting the other part of the fly-wheel to greater'than thetorque transfer through the 7 2. A transmission system comprising a separable clutch structure and means to'drive one part of said clutch structure, a driving member connected to another partof said clutch structure to be driven thereby, a driven member, a fluid. fly-wheel having two relatively movable parts of which one is connected to the driving member and the other is connectable to the driven member, a first small gear on said one part of the fluid ily-whee1,'a first large gear in mesh with th first small gear, a second small gear to said first large gear for rotation therewith, a large ring gear in mesh with said second small gear, a selector body connected for rotation with said driven member and slidable therealong, said second small gear being wide whereby the ring gear remains in mesh therewith in a plurality of axially-slid positions, over-running clutch rollers located-between said selector body and ring gear whereby a power transfer at low speed may be effected from said driving member to said driven member and whereby the selec-' ing member and having a runner connectable to the driven member, a low-speed high-torque gear train including a small gear connected to the driver housing and also including an over-runni'ng clutch for permitting the driven member to, turn faster than the drive relationship through said train when the torque demand upon the driven member is not greater than the torque transfer through the fluid fly-wheel, and selectively engageable means for selectively connecting the driven member to said runner and to said driving member.

4. A transmission system comprising a driving Q member, a driven member. an intermediate member, a fluid fly-wheel having two relatively mov- .able parts of which one is connected to the driving member and the other is connected to the. intermediate member, a low-speed high-torque train connecting the driving and driven members and including an over-running clutch for per-. mitting the driven member to turnfaster than the drive relationship through said train when the torque demand upon the driven member is not greater than the torque transfer through the fluid flywheel, and means for selectively coupling said driven with the driving and intermediate members including a selector body and engage able clutch teeth on said body and-on the driving and intermediate members. -5. A transmission system as in claim 4, including also a reverse gearing driven from the driving member ,and selectively engageable for actuating the driven member, said selective coupling means and the selectively engageable reverse gearing being interconnected so that the two may not be in coupling engagement at the same time.

6. A transmission system comprising a driving member, a driven member having a selector connected for rotation therewith but slidable therealong, an intermediate member, coupling means for connecting the driving member and the inter- 5 mediate member, a low-speed high-torque train member and including an over-running'clutch for efiecting rotation of the selector when the torque demand on the driven member is less thanthe torque transfer through the coupling member, first clutch means on -the intermediate member, second clutch means on the driving member, third clutch means on the selector member, and means for shifting the selector from a first position in which said clutch means are disengaged from one another to a second position inwhich said first and third clutch means are engaged together and thence to a third position in which said third clutch means is engaged with both said first and second clutch means.

7. A transmission system as in claim 6, in which the low-speed high-torque train includes a revoluble gear mounted on the selector and connected therewith through the over-running clutch, and also including a reverse train connected for driving from the driving member and having a gear for meshing engagement with said revoluble gear in a fourth position of the selector in which said first, second and third clutch means are disengaged from one another. a

8. A transmission system as in claim 6, in which the coupling means is a hydraulic coupling re- 'sponsive to' the speed of rotation of the parts thereof.

9. A transmission system comprising a fluid fly-wheel having a housing and a runner, means for driving the housing, a tail shaft, a low-speed high-torque train connecting the housing and the tail shaft and including an over-running clutch, and selectively operable means effective in one position to connect the tail shaft to the runner and effective in another position to connect the tail shaft directly to the housing.

10. A transmission system comprising a fluid fly-wheel having a housing and a runner, means for driving the housing, a tail shaft, 9. low-speed high-torque train connecting the housing and the tail shaft and including an over-running clutch, and selectively operable means efiective in one 7 while said gear means remains in mesh into aposition to connect the tail shaft to the runner whereby a high speed drive of the tail shaft may be automatically effected through the fluid flywheel when the torque demand the tail shaft is less than the eii'ective. torque fer through the fly-wheel, and eifective in another position to connect the tail shaft directly to the housing for causing the parts to turn at the speed of the driving means, and effective in a third position for disconnecting the tail shaft from both the runner and housing whereby the tail shaft is driven solely through the said train.

11. A transmission system comprising a driving member, a driven member, a fluid fly-wheel having two relatively movable parts of which one is connected to the driving member and the other is connectable to the driven member, a low-speed high-torque gear train connectingthe driving and driven members and including a small gear connected to said one part of the fluid fly-wheel and including also a gear means and an over-running clutch through which said gear means is effective 'to produce a driving of the driven member at low speed, a selector body connected for rotation with said driven member and slidable therealong, clutch teeth'on said selector body and on each of said parts of the fluid fly-wheel, and a reverse gearing device including a gear in mesh with said gear train and a gear connected to said selector body; said selector body being slidable for selective engagement in a first position in which said gear means is in mesh to be eflective for driving thedriven member at a low speed, and in a second position in which said gear on the selector body is in mesh for being driven through said reverse gear, and further being selectively slidable third position in which said clutch teeth on the selector body and said other part of the fluid flywheel are engaged and also into a fourth position engaged.

O'I'IO E. SZEKELY.

in which said clutch teeth on the selector body and on said one part of thefluid fly-wheel are 

